Master of International Affairs (MIA)

A World of Opportunity

The Master of International Affairs Program is a professional masters program that is designed to train and educate individuals for careers in the public, private and non-profit sectors within countries as well as in relations between them. This multidisciplinary degree provides students with a broad educational foundation in international relations theory, policy analysis, economics, management and quantitative methods as well as practical knowledge and analytical and managerial skills honed through both classroom and practical learning through a range of internship and capstone project experiences.

Rockefeller's MIA may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students will normally complete the program in two years of full-time study by taking three courses each semester and a summer internship. Part-time students enrolling in two courses per semester could complete the program of study in three years. Part-time, working professionals can take advantage of evening courses to complete the degree and the internship requirement may be waived for those with two years of related work experience.

The MIA curriculum consists of 12 full-semester classes (48 credit hours), including concentration options that allow students to focus the degree towards their personal career goals. The four components of the MIA degree program are:

A six-course core curriculum

Five elective courses, at least three of which must be taken in one concentration area

A capstone project

An internship or career experience

Core Curriculum

Rockefeller's MIA degree program includes six core courses to establish breadth across the fields of global affairs, develop interdisciplinary skills and provide a foundation for elective courses in the concentrations. Full-time students will typically take all six of these courses during the first year of the program.

RINT 504 International Economics
(or RPOS 517 International Political Economy)

RINT 505 Global Security
(or RPOS 582 Global Security)

RINT 506 (RPAD 661) International and Comparative Public Management
(or RPAD 506 Foundations of Public Management)

Electives and Concentration Areas

Students in the MIA program take five elective courses, at least three of which must be taken in a single International Affairs concentration. Most students will take their electives and complete their concentrations in the second year of the program. Students should choose concentrations based on their career goals and should work closely with an advisor to choose a concentration that best matches their professional interests and to choose the specific courses they will take within a concentration.

With permission of the International Affairs program director, students may also design their own custom concentration of at least three approved elective courses. Students may opt for a custom concentration in the following areas of specialization in which our faculty members have extensive expertise and routinely offer courses:

International Affairs Faculty

The International Affairs Faculty is composed of faculty members from Rockefeller College's Department of Political Science and Department of Public Administration and Policy who teach the MIA program's core and elective courses. In addition, courses that fulfill the degree program's elective requirements will be taught by faculty members from across the University of Albany and SUNY system, as well as part-time adjunct faculty, practitioners, and public service professors.

Internship or Career Experience

Students will gain valuable real-world experience through internships in both the public and private sector. Although Rockefeller College's Master of International Affairs program is new and has yet to graduate a cohort of students, Rockefeller College has a record of placing students in exciting and varied international jobs and internships. Recent Rockefeller College graduates have held internships or found full-time employment in:

United Nations Development Programme

U.S. Department of State – Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation